1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to apparatuses used to control the speed of vehicles, and specifically, to a portable speed bump for causing a vehicle to slow its speed as it traverses over the portable speed bump.
2. Related Art
Speed bumps are extensively used as an effective means for controlling the speed of a vehicle. They are typically used in those high traffic and/or high populated areas that require slower speeds, e.g., school zones, parking lots, construction zones, tollways, and entrance and exit ramps.
The most common speed bump is a permanent structure integrated with a road surface such as an elongated rubber, asphalt, concrete, or steel bars having a rounded top surface. As a vehicle approaches the speed bump, the driver must slow to an appropriate speed in order to prevent severe vibration or jolting of the vehicle when passing over the speed bump. The principal disadvantage with conventional speed bumps is that they are permanent structures which are not intended to be moved. If a new situation should arise wherein a speed bump is needed quickly, it would be impossible for a conventional speed bump to be installed due to the time and materials needed to install such a speed bump. Therefore, there is a need for a portable speed bump that can be deployed and retracted as needed and by a single person.
As a possible answer to the need for a portable speed bump, several speed bumps have been created that purport to being portable. However, these conventional xe2x80x9cportablexe2x80x9d speed bumps also have disadvantages associated with them that rendered them impractical to use. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,697,294 to Schafer (the xe2x80x9cSchafer Patentxe2x80x9d), a modular speed bump is disclosed comprising a plurality of ramp plates fixable to a highway surface. Although the Schafer Patent suggests that the modular speed bump is removable from the highway surface, it requires extra equipment and time to install and remove a plurality of bolts. Therefore, the modular speed bump is not truly portable and is not easily deployed and retracted. Furthermore, the modular speed bump can not be stored and transported as an assembled structure, but rather, must be stored and transported in modular pieces which makes it cumbersome to use.
In U.S. Pat. No. DES 348,230 to Shairba (the xe2x80x9cShairba Patent xe2x80x9d), a portable speed bump is disclosed that appears to operate by simply laying it across a road or lane of traffic. As seen in the drawings, this portable speed bump is an elongated bar that does not collapse or roll up for storage and transport. Therefore, this is a very cumbersome device in that a user must carry and store the portable speed bump in its elongated form.
Similarly, in U.S. Pat. No. DES 336,524 to White, et al. (the xe2x80x9cWhite Patent xe2x80x9d), a speed bump is shown that appears to be modular, however, it too is cumbersome during storage or transport. From the drawings it appears that the speed bump must be stored and transported as a plurality of modules because there is no means by which two adjacent modules are permanently joined. The drawing merely shows tabs on the end of one module being inserted into holes in the end of a second module. Therefore, there is no way to store or transport the speed bump in an assembled fashion. Also, this speed bump appears to be intended to be fixed to a highway surface in that the modules have a pair of tabs, and the ends of the speed bump have a tab, for securing the speed bump with a bolt, stake, or nail, to a highway surface.
Therefore, there remains a need for a portable speed bump that can be deployed and retracted by a single person.
In addition, there are no conventional or prior art speed bumps that incorporate any safety features, e.g., reflective materials and/or lights, or a controller for activating an alarm, counting vehicles, or heating the speed bump during inclement weather. Therefore, there is a need for a portable speed bump that contains one or more safety features and a controller.
The present invention solves the problems associated with conventional speed bumps by providing a portable speed bump (PSB) unit designed to be deployed and retracted by a single individual. The PSB unit comprises a plurality of speed bump cells removably and pivotally connected together to form a single PSB unit of variable length. Each speed bump cell comprises a plastic base having a rectangular footprint, a raised top surface, and a cross-sectional profile that is generally trapezoidal or semi-circular in shape. The speed bump cells are interconnected via one or more hinge bars that are pivotally connected together, thereby allowing two adjacent speed bump cells to be folded together such that an entire PSB unit can be rolled up for easy retrieval, portability, and storage purposes and simply unrolled to an extended position for deployment and use. During storage, the PSB unit of the present invention is housed in a storage container (e.g., a bag, box, metal cabinet, or plastic cabinet) in a rolled up position.
In operation, a PSB unit of the present invention is rolled up and stored in a storage container. A user deploys the PSB unit by unrolling or dragging the PSB unit across one or more lanes of traffic. Due to the uniform means for connecting PSB cells, two or more PSB units can be coupled together to form a larger PSB unit for convenience of deploying or storing. Therefore, a single PSB unit can be deployed independent of other PSB units, or, depending on the length of the area to be covered, two or more PSB units can be coupled together to form a larger unit of variable length.
In addition, if two PSB units are coupled together for storage purposes, then once at the deployment area, the two PSB units can either be used as a single larger PSB unit (as they were stored) or can be separated such that the two PSB units are used independent of each other. For example, one PSB unit is deployed across the lane of traffic closest to a pedestrian crossing point, while a second PSB unit is transported and deployed across the street to the opposite lane of traffic opposite the first unit deployed. Therefore, all lanes of traffic are covered. Alternatively, the two PSB units can be deployed in succession across the same lane of traffic resulting in a passing vehicle engaging two consecutive PSB units. Once coverage is no longer required, the two PSB units are brought back together and recoupled as a single larger PSB unit, then rolled back into the storage container.
A PSB unit can be designed and manufactured with the PSB cells of the unit having a specific slope and height. It is this combination of slope and height that achieves a desired effect with an oncoming vehicle. For example, if the PSB cells of a PSB unit have a steep slope and an increased height, then when a vehicle engages the PSB unit, it will have a large impact. In contrast, a slight slope and a decreased height will have minimal impact with a vehicle.
There are many advantages associated with the PSB unit of the present invention. A PSB unit of the present invention can be easily transported, deployed, retracted, and stored by a single person due to its ability to be rolled up and unrolled. A PSB unit can have a variable length, wherein a user can use any number of PSB cells as required for covering a traffic area. In the deployed position, a PSB unit is stable and substantially motionless as a vehicle rolls thereover. The PSB unit also retains greater strength and is less susceptible to breakage because it is so stable.